Cooking & Culture: Gumbo

From the African roots of Southern soul food to the eating habits of trendsetting millennials, Hormel Foods is covering the dishes and stories behind food heritage through a new, online video series called Cooking & Culture.

New Orleans natives Chef Kenneth Temple and Harold Burden, manager of demand planning at Hormel Foods, joined us to talk about the history of soul food in the first chapter of our new series Cooking & Culture in honor of Black History Month.

In a heavy bottom pot heat oil over medium-high heat, once hot fry okra in batches, fry okra for 1-2 minutes. Sit to side on paper towels. Once last batch is finished add okra back to pot. Add onion, bell pepper and celery and cook for 2-3 minutes; season with salt, pepper and cayenne (don’t over season for you will season again). Add garlic, tomato paste and bay leaf, thyme and oregano once garlic is fragrant stir in sausage and ham. Cook for 2 minutes. Add stock bring to a boil, season with salt, pepper and cayenne, taste. Reduce heat to a simmer occasionally stirring for 1 hour.

Serve over hot white rice.

Tip: You can add chicken, shrimp or crab to your gumbo too!

We’ll find reasons to enjoy food. That’s just the culture of New Orleans.

In a bowl mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, black pepper and salt together. Slice butter in by tablespoons and crumble with hands until texture is coarse like cornbread. Make a hole in the middle and pour in buttermilk, mix until dough pulls from sides of bowl.

Take 1/2 cup of flour and knead dough 5 times. Cut out biscuits and place on top of casserole, bake for 15 minutes until golden brown, garnish with parsley. Serve hot and enjoy!

Country Green Bean Almandine

Total Time

10-15 minutes

Serves

4

1 1/2Pound Green Beans, Fresh Or Frozen

1Tablespoon Canola Oil

2Tablespoons Unsalted Butter

1/2Cup Hormel® Cure 81® Diced Ham

1/2Medium Onion, Sliced

2Garlic Cloves, Minced

1/2Teaspoon Kosher Salt

1/2Teaspoon Black Pepper

1/4Cup Slivered Almonds

Instructions

If fresh green beans, blanch in boiling water for 1 minute, drain in colander so water runs off. If frozen green beans, sit in water until defrosted, drain in colander so water runs off.

Heat skillet on medium-high heat. Add oil and butter, once hot add ham and onions sauté for 1-2 minutes, add green beans, garlic and season with salt and pepper, cook for 2-5 minutes (until water cooks out, no more steam) adjust seasoning and pour into serving vessel.

In a separate skillet over medium heat toast almonds for 3-4 minutes until almonds smell slightly toasted. Pour over top of green beans and enjoy!